The Regular Navy Brat
by loveableabusive
Summary: Vaylen Shepard, eighteen year old new recruit in the Alliance Fleet is overshadowed by her parents. She feels like she is not living her own life, stuck with the great expectations everyone had of her. But how will they help her survive? SoleSurvivorPast
1. The Citadel

**The Regular Navy Brat**

Mass Effect

**Chapter One: **The Citadel

A regular navy brat. That was what they had called her, even when she was standing right beside them; pristine uniform and that bright innocent look in her eyes that was the mark of every new recruit. At simply eighteen years of age, Vaylen Shepard felt as if she was too young to be standing on the sleek marble floor of the Citadel, hands clasped behind her back as the Lieutenant made the crucial introductions. Her black hair was pinned back from her face; that one stubborn lock tucked behind her ear, at least for the moment, and her lilac eyes bright with anxiety, anticipation and pride. Despite the disapproving glances at her unlaced scuffed boots, which she had neglected to polish the night before _and_ had forgotten to tie up on her way off the ship, she knew that she had finally found her niche… of a sort. Before, she had been tailing after her parents, lugging their cases, looking after the screaming brats, that sort of thing, but now she was making her _own_ damn way. She was going to do her very _best_ to climb to the top of this intergalactic ladder. She was going to show these puffed up aliens exactly what humanity was made of.

The Captain laughed at the Lieutenant's comment and then cast a roving eye over Vaylen, standing beside Ray Ashford who was positively _quivering_ with excitement. She liked Ray, he was quick, quirky and when he cracked a joke, which was damn often, it was all she could do to keep her ribs intact. 'Shepard, eh? Are you not, perchance, related to Hannah Shepard?' The captain asked her. Vaylen snapped to attention, trying not to make the sound of her teeth grinding audible. _Everywhere I bloody go_, she thought savagely.

'Yes sir! She is my mother, sir.' She said clearly, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the glittering light a few inches to the right of his head.

'Of course! You have her eyes, although you look a lot like your father. I suppose they badgered you about joining up yes?'

'No sir. They did not approve…' But the captain did not hear her reply because he was already been taken down the line to inspect the rest of the lambs. Lambs to the slaughter. Oh, _joy_.

It was true that Hannah and Michael did not approve of their only daughter's choice to join the Alliance Fleet. It was bad enough that they had to cope with _each other_ risking their lives every damn minute without worrying about Vaylen too, but regardless of their arguments, she had made her choice. This is the only thing she had ever known, so what else was she supposed to do? Go back to earth and become a painter? She didn't think so.

Skilled with weaponry, yet with a side-order of some semblance of Biotic skill, Vaylen was what people liked to call a Vanguard, and she had heard every joke in the book about that, so she simply did not give a damn anymore. She was damn proud of what she was, and nothing was going to change that.

'Okay everyone, this is probably going to be the most important mission any of you have ever been on.' The Captain announced once everyone had been suitably glared at. He was standing against the white marble wall, hands behind his back as he regarded the newest recruits with a professional eye. 'Maybe, for some of you, even the _only_ mission you have ever been on. In the outlying regions of Alliance space, there is a small, very lush, planet called Akuze, maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, that isn't important.'

He sent a quick glance at the Lieutenant and then shrugged. 'The planetary surface has been a known breeding ground for Thresher Maws, though, as it is not mating season, there is no reason why they should attack you. In the rare case of a Maw attack, and there will under no circumstances be any more than one attacking you at one time, everyone should focus their firepower on one point of the Maw, and it should be like pissing on a bonfire.'

'Only slightly less temperate, sir.' Ray chirped and the line sniggered as one. Even the Captain smirked.

'Perhaps, Private Ashford. Perhaps.' He conceded. 'It really depends on where you're standing at the time. Stomach acid of a Maw is known to be quite… ah… warm, Private.'

Ray rubbed at his nose in reply. He did that often. He claimed it was because his nose itched, but Vaylen suspected that it was simply a mannerism and after the first few times, she let it alone. He was a tall man, with short, slightly spiked black hair and gleaming blue eyes, his appearance betraying his personality. When Vaylen had first met him the month after she had signed up, her first impression had not been a good one, he had been quiet and moody, just as was expected, but no, after a few weeks he started to come out of his shell, and he soon became the clown. Everyone adored him.

'We will be setting off at 1600 hours. You have free time until then, try not to wander too far marines, we'd hate for any of you to get lost and miss out on all the fun.' He winked and then strolled off with the Lieutenant, muttering in low tones.

'LT Matthews looked freaked.' Ray observed after a moment. 'I wonder what managed to remove that ever present smile.'

'How about a chisel?' Vaylen watched as the small regiment of red-cheeked marines began to fan out over the marble floor, two of them heading to where she and Ray stood. 'Must say it is a welcome change. He seems rather demented when his cheeks are constantly a mile apart.'

A.J Matthews was the Lieutenant who had introduced the captain to his new lackeys. He was an alright sort of guy, in the sense that he hardly ever spoke, hardly ever smiled and kept himself to himself. But Vaylen could tell he was worried about something, call it womanly intuition, but hell, it was obvious to her. _Explained why Ray could sense it too,_ she thought with an inward smirk.

She looked up as Scarlet Cash and Christopher Green, another two of their closer friends, came towards them. Green was older than the other three, having chosen to serve the military after his career of an interstellar sales advisor fell through the crapper and he spent most of his time with the short and bad tempered Scarlet. Scarlet and Green had denied, adamantly, that there was nothing going on between them, but Green was handsome in the rugged kind of way and Scarlet was the object of many of the marines' lust. They had _dreams_ about her. And not the dry kind.

'Well that was a waste of my time.' Scarlet snapped as a greeting. 'They could have said all this before I got out of bed. I could've slept in.'

'And miss out on all our dazzling conversation? How could you say such a thing?' Ray chortled. He checked his watch. Standard issue Citadel timekeeper with four hands fifteen numbers and a strange array of smaller clocks inside the larger face. 'I'd say we have… around…' The thought for a moment. 'Eh… what the hell? I've had this thing for three years and I still can't figure out how to work out the time.' She shook his wrist slightly.

'It was your own fault for throwing away the damn manual.' Vaylen peered over his shoulder and gave him a quick rundown.

'Still don't fucking understand it.' He said after she had finished. 'Most of us don't even bother with the watches. We just ask someone.' He flung out an arm and caught a passing Salarian. 'Hello friend. May I inquire as to what hour we find ourselves at present?' He said politely.

The Salarian blinked.

'He wants to know what the time is.' Vaylen translated quickly.

'It is…' He pulled his arm from Ray's grip and checked his own watch. '0948…'

'How the hell did you work that out?'

'I learned.' And he walked away, flat nose in the air.

Green chuckled. 'He couldn't have ever made that sound more insulting if he had tried! Come on, close your mouth Ray, or are you trying to catch your dinner?'

Vaylen laughed at Ray's hurt expression. 'Speaking of food. I haven't had breakfast! Who wants to grab a bite to eat? Just none of that Turian crap, my stomach won't be able to take any more of that shit.'

* * *

A regular navy brat. 

Vaylen picked at her food with a plastic two-pronged utensil as Ray, Green and Scarlet argued about nothing important, all sure that is was to be another one of those quick missions and back in time to see the end of the month. She wasn't scared as such, just nervous, as after everything her parents had been through, her father losing his arm to a group of Krogan mercenaries after he was found in the wrong place at the wrong time, her mother almost dying one of the simpler missions she was assigned after Vaylen's younger bother was born, she had grown to be cautious.

A regular navy brat.

What did that leave for her future prospects?

Turning into her mother? A high-ranking officer who had to spend half of her time on leave because she had a habit of getting pregnant several times in a decade? With all due respect, sir, fuck that with a pulse rifle. Cue smarmy grin.

Vaylen let out a sigh and pushed the slop away from her. This was still her parents' life she was living and she had no clue how to get free of the expectations everyone had of her, great or no. She was sick of being _Hannah's and Michael's daughter_. She wanted to be who she really could be, on her own strength; she wanted to be Vaylen Shepard.

'You look as if you're blowing several fuses in that head of yours.' Scarlet said, catching the darkness on Vaylen's ordinarily cheerful countenance. 'What's up chick? Not enough salt or something?'

Scarlet, though her temper left a lot to be desired, was a nice enough girl, smart and serious but able to call on something similar to a sense of humour when the occasion called for it and she was _something__else_ when it came to sniping, but Vaylen didn't know her that well. Ray had assured her that she was as genuine has he was, a comment she found extremely amusing, and so she decided to trust her. As of yet, she had let very little show…

'I'm ok... just phased out for a moment there.'

Ray gave a chortle. 'You're worse than the damn Asaris for that! Right. So what's happening now? We have a few hours to kill so yeah?'

'Five and a half hours,' Green corrected.

'I'm all for going to get some shut-eye. I mean, we're going to be on Akuze for a human month at best so we may as well conserve our energy.' Scarlet mused. 'The rest of the unit should be out and about, stirring up hell, so the ship should be approaching peaceful, at any rate.' She grinned at the boys. 'Unless you'd rather visit Chora's Den like any other respectable marine?'

'Too full by now.' Ray shrugged. He yawned theatrically and slung his arm over Vaylen's shoulder. 'Besides... I have other things on my mind.' He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Vaylen shrieked and shied away from him with a laugh. 'Jerk.' She murmured.

Inside, however, her heart was pounding.

* * *

**review?**


	2. The Mission

**The Regular Navy Brat**

Mass Effect

**Chapter Two -** The mission

The mission debriefing was to take place after everyone had arrived on board the battleship, the Spearhead, and as Vaylen pulled herself from her bunk and pulled her scuffed boots on, she heard the thudding of dozens of rubber and metal shod feet pacing the corridors, and the laughter of her fellow marines. She thudded heavily to Scarlet's bunk and resisted the urge to shake her shoulder. 'We're up' she whispered gently to the older woman.

She let out a grumble and rolled over in her sleep. 'But I don't wanna go to school,' Vaylen heard her slurred voice clearly, even though it was covered by half the drab blanket. 'Five more minutes.' Her blonde hair was spilled out over the pillow and her booted feet stuck out at the side of the bed. Vaylen sighed. If only this _was_ school. She wouldn't be as anxious for a start.

'Hey, Captain's gunna freak if we're not down in the map room in ten minutes,' She leant a little closer, spoke a little louder. 'Come on, get moving!' and she reached down to touch Scarlet's shoulder. The effect was instant. Scarlet's eyes snapped open, and she automatically lashed out with her balled fist, striking Vaylen in the face before she swung her legs out and planted a forceful kick upon her abdomen. Vaylen gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she fell to the ground. A second passed and everything went black.

* * *

'...s...sh...shi... shit...sh... it... shit...shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!'

'Ugh...'

'Oh thank god! Vaylen are you okay!?' The girl on the metal riveted floor groaned again as the other woman helped her up into a sitting position. 'I'm so sorry I hit you. I panicked. Oh god, are you sure you're okay?'

Vaylen reached up and touched her nose, feeling the blood, warm beneath her fingertips. 'That hurt.' She said, her voice slurred. 'why'd ya do that?'

'I'm sorry! It just happens! I'm a little over cautious.' Scarlet looked very close to tears. 'Troubled childhood. I lived on the streets, and I learnt to take care of myself. Jesus Vaylen, I shoulda warned you.' She stood up and helped Vaylen to her feet. 'You good to face the guys? Only… we gotta go.'

'How do I look?'

Scarlet winced. 'Want the truth?'

* * *

The captain surveyed the rabble. Many of them were laughing, playfully slapping their fellows about the head with the backs of their hands, while the calmer ones just laughed at their expense; the immaturity of such foolish children striking him deep within his spirit. These _children_ had hardly any experience out in the field, yet they had been entrusted with such a delicate mission, a mission none of these people knew _anything_ about, nor would _ever_ know. Half of these young men and women would never make it back from Akuze but they were a sacrifice they had to make, and the others would be too broken to do anything about what they see down there. It was all planned, and it was all going to go ahead no matter what happened. Those in this small detachment were specifically chosen by the uppers, those who were connected to people of power, who, in this state of circumstance, would be able to fix this tiny matter and afterward, be in no position to tell anyone. This was for the good of the damn race, they only hoped they would understand that if word ever seeped out; that they had no choice in the matter. Human beings genetically creating life? Unheard of. The captain caught the Lieutenant's eye and he nodded with a small wan smile; this was important and it _was_ going to be stripped from the record. Even if they _all_ died in the process.

'What the fuck happened to your nose, Shepard?' Ray gasped as Scarlet and Vaylen reached Green and the taller man where they stood against the sleek metal shell of the wall. He almost put his hand forward to touch her shoulder but a look from her silenced him and it hung limply at his side once more. 'Geez, did you walk into a door _again?_'

'Yeah.' Vaylen said. Scarlet blushed a little and looked at the floor but no one spied this embarrassed action, mostly because she was making a show of checking her old fashioned pocket watch which was attached to her fabric belt. 'I'm still not used to how they close right after someone walks through, I keep wanting to follow people.' Vaylen gave a small sheepish smile. 'I blame technology. What the hell was wrong with revolving doors?'

'If we had revolving doors, retards like Ashford would spend hours inside one and _then_ come out where he started. We'd get nothing done.' Green elbowed Ray in the ribs with a smirk and then looked over to where the Captain was brooding. 'What's up his ass?'

'Your cock?' Ray grumbled, looking quite abashed. 'I dunno, he always looks like that to me. Perhaps he's thinking on the best way to fuck up the human race more than we already have?'

'What the fuck you talking about Ashford?' Scarlet asked him, but she looked rather amused. She handed Vaylen a tissue she had just found in her pocket. 'Should be clean.' She murmured as it exchanged hands.

'I mean… well… I think humanity sorta… I dunno found the protheon technology a little prematurely. The Turians hate us, the Asari ignore us and the Salarians think we're just like everything else. If we had just waited until –'

'Until the whole planet was completely fucked? I think we were lucky to find the tech on mars when we did! Another few decades and Humanity could have been wiped off the face of the planet before anyone could bat an eyelid! We were on the brink of nuclear war for cripes sakes!' Scarlet almost exploded in her heavy English accent. 'It's… it's… _bloody ridiculous_!'

Vaylen stood watching the verbal brawl take place, her arms crossed with a twisted corner of tissue shoved up her right nostril, Green beside her with that faintly amused look on his face as they both watched the argument like a tennis game, back and forth as they both issued increasingly sharp retorts. It was a well known fact that Ray and Scarlet did not get on well, probably because of the depravity of Ray's sense of humour, and Scarlet's tendency to call everyone by their last name and thus their arguments were not an occasion to break out the party poppers. Still, listening to them bicker was a good pastime while waiting for the higher-ups to begin the mission briefing.

Green jerked his chin up as he saw the Captain step up to the slightly raised ramp to address the group. 'Hey, watch out Wood's up.'

'Wood?' Ray demanded, momentarily sidetracked from the argument. 'He's coming with us? I thought he only came here to inspect us! I didn't think he was sticking around!'

Vaylen looked up at the captain and smirked.

'Right you miserable lot, listen and listen good! A few scientists who have been working down on the surface of Akuze have suddenly dropped out of contact and we're sending you down to take a gander. I know that this mission seems a little pitiful for how many of you we're sending down, and despite how docile the Maws have been recently, we cannot guarantee your safety. It is paramount that the scientists are safe, which is why a small detachment of you will be heading down into the labs to reconnoitre the area and find out what the problem is, though it is most likely that the comms have merely gone down. Shepard! You, Harris, Mackay and Ashford will be part of this team, if there is anything amiss you are to repair the situation using any means at your disposal. Your parents are extremely competent Shepard. Do not let us down.' And he turned to the gathering as a whole and Ray leaned towards Vaylen, who still stood with the tissue up her nostril, shocked into silence.

'Why is it always us thrown together?' He demanded, though he did not seem overly sour about the prospect and Vaylen glanced at him.

'Why is it always _me_ that's singled out? I don't wanna be Hannah's daughter anymore; I want to be Vaylen Shepard, dammit.' She scowled up at the captain and shook her head. 'I'm never going to be remembered for who I am; I'm going to be remembered for who she is!' She smiled at Ray. 'Though I'm glad you're coming with. I don't think I could cope with Harris on my own.' She shuddered. 'He has an obsession with my behind.'

'And every other woman's behind,' Scarlet chipped in. 'Did you two catch _any _of that?'

'Any of what?' Ray blinked and grinned at the shorter blond woman.

'He just said that there have been a lot of unexplained disappearances on Akuze, and we had better watch out. Jesus, you two are worse than… ugh, well… we have free time till the morning.' She grinned at Ray. 'Want me to teach you how to use that watch of yours again?'

* * *

**Sorry for the wait! Please Review!**


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